INTRODUCTION
Today, Christians around the world are celebrating Palm Sunday… also known as the “Triumphal Entry”. This is a special day where we remember the events that happened almost 2,000 years ago… A special day when Jesus rides into Jerusalem… A special day to begin a week of celebration leading up to the Passover…
To the Jews back in Jesus’ time, this was simply another year of Passover… A year like any other year. But to Jesus, the time has finally come… it’s time for the people to proclaim/declare Jesus as King… it’s time to fulfill more prophecy about the Christ… the Messiah. It’s a day for celebration! But it’s also a day of incredible sorrow.
We’re going to do a little people-watching this morning... We’re going to look at the faces in the crowd during Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem... We’re going to see why this Palm Sunday is a day for celebration, and also a day that brings Jesus to weep.
Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 11, and let’s read Mark 11:1-10…
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; 2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” 4 So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” 6 And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
To begin to understand the pageantry of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, we’re going to go back 500-600 years before Jesus’ birth, where God reveals to the prophet Zechariah certain details of the coming Messiah. (Zechariah 9:9)
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The events that unfolded on that Palm Sunday match what Zechariah had prophesied over five centuries earlier.
We also need to keep in mind that this is a very Jewish, very Hebrew occasion. This is the beginning of the Passover… one of the most important feasts that the Jewish people will celebrate all year. It is estimated that over two million people were celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem that year. The streets are packed with people… the city is filled with an exciting carnival-like atmosphere. During each day of the Passover week, the “Hallel” would be recited during morning prayers… “Hallel” is a Hebrew word meaning “praise”. The Hallel consists of reciting word-for-word each of Psalms 113-118, as a joyous praise in song to God.
Let’s look at the last part of the Hallel in Psalm 118:25-26…
25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
The Hebrew for the phrase “Save now, I pray” (yosha anna) is translated into the word “Hosanna” in Greek (which we have retained in the English translation). During Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, the people (who were very Jewish) were shouting phrases from the end of the Hallel!
Yoshanna! Yoshanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!
In the Gospel of Luke, he records it with the variation, “Blessed is the KING who comes in the name of the LORD!”
You see, the people in the crowd knew exactly what they were shouting. They were proclaiming the Messiah, their King! What a celebration!
But there’s more to the story here. Let’s pause with the people shouting, “Hosanna!”, and go back a few days… let’s look at some of the drama happening behind the scenes. Let’s get a better understanding of some of the faces in the crowd. First, let’s look at the faces of the EXPECTANT CROWD.
I. THE EXPECTANT CROWD
Before Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, He spent some time with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. We see a crowd beginning to gather there, but John says they were there not so much to see Jesus, but to see this man Lazarus who had been raised from the dead…
John 12:9… “Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.”
This crowd wanted to see what was going on. These people were there to see the show, not to see the Master. The crowd came to see something amazing… to see Lazarus, the man who had been raised from the dead. They want to go where Jesus is so they can see miracles.
They’re there to experience the wonder, to enjoy the show... Not to worship the King.
The people were always looking for a sign. Jesus had performed many miracles, but avoided being pulled into the spotlight... He avoided being called out in front of everyone as the Messiah because His time had not yet come. But now, after waiting months for Jesus to make his claim... now they see Jesus riding into the city on a donkey... now they see Him making His claim of Kingship. Their joy and emotion erupted. FINALLY! Jesus is making His triumphant entry into Jerusalem confirming His claim as our King! It’s time for a show!
The One everyone was talking about... the One who had performed incredible miracles... the One everyone was hoping would show up was finally here... On a scale of 1 to 10, their excitement level was around a 50!
This crowd of thousands began taking off their coats and laying them on the road on which Jesus was riding... Many of them climbed palm trees and cut off branches to throw down for the colt to walk upon, while others waved their palm branches back and forth. These people felt that victory and restoration was riding right before their eyes on a colt!
And then, the streets erupted with the sounds of praises, singing and shouting...
HOSANNA!
HOSANNA TO THE SON OF DAVID!
HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!
‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’
BLESSED IS THE KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID THAT COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!
THE KING OF ISRAEL!
HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!
It was quite the show... quite the spectacle. Have you ever wondered why the same people who are crying out “Hosanna!” would just a few short days later be shouting “Crucify Him!”?
Even as they shout the Hallel, Psalm 118:25 includes the phrase, “O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.” You see, they were expecting Jesus to establish a new world order with the Jewish nation at the top of the heap. What they forgot is that Jesus’ kingdom would be an eternal kingdom, not an earthly one.
The Hallel also mentions in Psalm 118:22 how the “stone which the builders had rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Jesus will experience their rejection in just a few short days when they scream, “Crucify Him!”
Jesus has attracted an expectant mob, but they are looking to witness the coming of a king to save them from the Romans and establish a Jewish Empire. “Put on a show for us, Jesus.” Their hearts have not been changed by their encounter with the Messiah.
What about us? Would we rather be entertained instead of truly being changed by our encounter with Jesus? Do we offer our worship because we expect Jesus to return the favor and make us healthy, happy, and prosperous? Or are we here to worship Jesus simply because He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who became flesh and dwelt among us?
You see, there are those in the crowd, though much smaller in number than the expectant crowd, who truly desire to worship the King. These are the TRUE FOLLOWERS.
II. THE TRUE FOLLOWERS
The True Followers aren’t there for the show. They are there to worship and adore their King.
Let’s turn our attention on two women, Mary and Martha. Many days prior to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, Jesus raised Martha’s brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Let’s read a portion of that event in John 11:21-27…
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Martha’s faith is in the Christ. Jesus doesn’t raise Lazarus from the dead until AFTER this dialog. Martha doesn’t worship Jesus because of what He can *DO* for her. Martha worships Jesus because of who He *IS* to her… “You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
What about us? Do we sing our praises to Jesus because of what He can DO for us, or are our hearts in tune with who He IS... His holiness... His righteousness... His extravagant, unfailing love for us?
If we are focused on what Jesus can DO for us, we are like the expectant mob, ready to crucify Him if He doesn’t perform for us. “You didn’t save my mother/father from cancer.” “You didn’t protect me.” “You didn’t help me.” “You didn’t (fill in the blank) for me.” What are you mad at God about today?
His true followers worship Jesus for who He IS. For another perspective, let’s look at Mary’s expression of love and devotion to her King in John 12:3, which reads… “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”
Mary’s expression of love and devotion was extravagant... Mere words couldn’t express the love she had for her Savior. She didn’t need to speak a word. The fragrant oil easily costs her at least a full year’s wages. Some of the other Gospels mention how she also anoints Jesus’ head, which is an act of honor, but John focuses on anointing Jesus’ feet, which is an act of humility and devotion.
Close your eyes and engage your imagination for a moment as we picture the scene... Mary breaks open the flask of oil, the aroma quickly filling the room, and quietly pours it gently on Jesus’ head... the fragrant oil dripping down His hair and onto His face and shoulders. She then takes the remaining oil and anoints His feet. Kneeling at the feet of Jesus, she wipes His feet with her hair. She has just anointed her Savior for His burial though He is very much alive and the very next day will be riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. I can just imagine that less than a week later, as Jesus hangs from the cross, Mary and those around her can still catch whiffs of the fragrance still in her hair.... the fragrance of her devotion to her Lord.
When Mary and Martha are shouting “Hosanna!” they really mean it! They have no expectation other than to follow and pour out their love and devotion upon the only one worthy of their praise! True followers of Jesus believe in who He IS, and understand that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and THAT is the reason why we shout “Hosanna!” in praise and adoration!
III. THE PHARISEES
But there were other faces in the crowd that day, faces of those who had no interest in celebrating or shouting “Hosanna!” as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday... The faces of the Pharisees.
It must have fueled such intense anger in those Pharisees to see all of this support and praise for their worst enemy... For the One who threatened their power and position... The One who they feared and hated... The One whose head they had put a price on...
Luke tells us that somewhere along the parade route these men could no longer contain their boiling anger. They just couldn’t take the shouts of the crowds calling Jesus the King and the Son of David... When they couldn’t take it any longer they shouted at Jesus, “Teacher rebuke Your disciples!" (Luke 19:39)
TELL THEM TO STOP SHOUTING… TELL THEM TO STOP PRAISING YOU… MAKE THEM STOP WORSHIPING YOU!
Then Jesus responds to them in Luke 19:40… “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
In effect, Jesus tells them, “Do not think that you can stop the worship of God... No matter how hostile you are to Me, no matter how you try to stop the people from praising Me... You cannot stop it from happening, because the Son of God will ALWAYS be worshiped! If there is not a voice to lift up praise to Me, then even the very rocks and stones would sing praises to My name.”
The Pharisees were lost in their stubborn pride... and their refusal to acknowledge Jesus’ divinity. Is it possible today that there is someone who is determined to live life on their own terms in pursuit of fame or wealth or position or power or standing in the community? Is it possible even today that someone is so intent on living for themselves, that they refuse to accept what Jesus has said to be true? Who refuse to accept that their choices are not pleasing to God? Someone who argues and debates God’s moral absolutes, unwilling to acknowledge that their life has no meaning apart from Jesus Christ?
Are you like the Pharisees? Are you holding so tightly to the wisdom of this world that you refuse to acknowledge and accept the Kingship of Jesus Christ?
As we look on the faces of the Pharisees in the crowd, shouting hatred instead of Hosannas, let’s look at one last face… let’s look on the face of Jesus for a moment.
IV. JESUS WEPT
Let’s read Luke 19:41... ”Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it”
Can you see the face of Jesus? Can you picture the tears flowing freely down his cheeks, His face twisted in sorrow? This is a time of triumph, of celebration, yet His heart is broken by what He sees! Jesus finds no joy in the rejection and hatred of the Pharisees... He weeps for these men who were so close to the Father’s house, but so far away from the Father.
The Pharisees are easy to figure out, but the expectant crowd is better at hiding their true hearts. You see, Jesus can tell what’s in each person’s heart regardless of what their outward expressions are at the moment. You can shout “Hosanna!” and sing praises to God all you want, but Jesus knows what’s in your heart. Jesus knew their roots were shallow, and their devotion was just temporary.
As Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He weeps over the fate that would come upon the city of Jerusalem and upon those who would reject Him. They will crucify the Son of God and invoked the Father’s furious wrath. Jesus weeps for those who would reject the gift He came to give, for those who would reject the crown of life He would win... For those who would reject Him.
But Jesus didn’t weep for His true followers. In fact, He prayed for them… Jesus knew that His disciples would faithfully finish their race… He saw the chains, the prison cells, the beatings... He saw James beheaded, Thomas stoned, John exiled and Peter crucified upside down. Jesus prays for His disciples. He doesn’t weep for them… He sends His disciples into the world knowing what they will face.
CONCLUSION
You and I are also in the crowd, and when Jesus looks at our faces, what does He see?
Does He see a face like that of the Expectant Crowd, shouting praises to Him on that first Palm Sunday? As long as Jesus follows our plan, fulfills our needs and desires... As long as Jesus agrees to act like a puppet on a string or a genie in a lamp, making no demands and doing whatever we ask... As long as He puts on a good show… Is that when we will shout His praises?
But when the road gets rough and rocky and we have better things to do, will we be the first to shout, “Crucify Him! I don’t want You to run my life! Your demands are too tough... I’m leaving and won’t come back until you can meet my needs!”
If that’s you, then Jesus weeps for you.
Or when Jesus looks at you, does He see a face like that of the Pharisees, hostile and defiant, refusing to accept the truth about Jesus, refusing to submit to His word? You don’t like what the Bible says or what it tells you to do or not to do. Maybe you don’t want to give up your sense of power, or pride, or independence.
If that’s you, then Jesus weeps for you.
Or does He see the face of a true follower? Someone whose love and devotion is based on who He IS, and not simply on what He can DO for them? The face of someone who has surrendered their life to the only One worthy of their devotion?
If that’s you, then Jesus’ smile beams down like sunshine upon you… His face full of pride, joy, and loving-kindness toward His child.
Which face are you? Is Jesus weeping over you, knowing that your rejection of Him will ultimately result in your destruction? Or is He singing and praying over you as one of His true followers?
Is this Palm Sunday a day for celebration, or is it a day of incredible sorrow? It’s your choice.
Let’s pray…
***With many thanks to Rev. Larry East and his sermon, “We Would Like to See Jesus”, and Rev. Steve Malone and his sermon, “Faces in the Crowd”, available on SermonCentral for significant contribution of content for this sermon.***
